CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Poetry was an ancient and eloquent art that went through a tremendous change
over time. It was born in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Initially, it was
more of oral tradition and epic poems, involving the Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer's
Iliad and Odyssey, with heroic tales and mythological legends.
Along with human civilization, poetry also grew. During this period, poetry
went in diversified streams like Old English works such as Beowulf, the poetry of
courtly love and chivalry by Troubadours, and religious as well as devotional poetry
like hymns. Accompanying the dawn of the Renaissance were the sonnets of
Shakespeare and Petrarch, epic poetry represented by Milton's Paradise Lost, and
metaphysical poetry as authored by John Donne and George Herbert.
Emotion and nature were highlighted during the Romantic movement by
Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats. During the Victorian period,
concentration was on social problems and moralistic values. Radical changes marked
the 20th century with Imagism, Surrealism, Confessional poetry, and Beat poetry.
Poetry has become ever more diverse and varied in influences from around the
world in modern times. It has evolved, with the popularity of the work of oral and
performance poetry, and experimental forms and hybrid genres that are continuing to
break new ground. The riches in poetic landscapes enrich themselves with
multicultural and intersectional perspectives. Always adapting and innovating, poetry
has represented human experiences, emotions, and cultural change throughout its
history. Today, it stands as an incredibly powerful means by which voices can be
expressed, social commentary made, and artistic explorations undertaken.
The first chapter “Introduction” deals with the essence of the poetry that has
spawned voices in pursuit of creative expression by human beings. It ranges from epic
poetry written in ancient days to voices of contemporary times, reflecting societal
values and cultural narratives with the Renaissance, Romanticism, and other literary
movements.
The second chapter “Chaucer and Medieval Realism” talks about the most
significant role of Geoffrey Chaucer as a forger of medieval realism, a literary
movement of revolutionary means in the representation of the human experience in
14th-century England. It also explores Chaucer's innovative storytelling,
characterization, and use of language, tracing his influence in the development of
English literature and the more lasting impact of medieval realism.
The third chapter “Renaissance Poetry” delves into the deeper aspects of
Renaissance emphasizing its features.
The fourth chapter “Metaphysical Poetry in Seventeenth-Century” emphasizes
Metaphysical poetry in the 17th century is an enigmatic world of intellectual curiosity,
spiritual introspection, and linguistic complexity. This also speaks about the
contributions of metaphysics in literary movements' evolution.
The fifth chapter “Eighteenth-Century Poetry - From Neoclassicism To Age
Of Transition” explores the changing terrain of eighteenth-century poetry, following
the development of Romanticism's emotional intensity from the intellectual order of
Neoclassicism.
The sixth chapter “Romanticism in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth
Centuries” examines the revolutionary period of Romanticism that transformed
English literature by emphasizing individualism, emotion, and nature. Between 1780
and 1830, the rationality of Neoclassicism gave way to a celebration of the human
experience and imagination.
The seventh chapter “Modernism” explores the drastic changes made to
Modernist poetry by pioneers such as Wallace Stevens, T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, and
W.B. Yeats, who abandoned conventional forms to depict the fractured realities of the
20th century.
The eighth chapter “Conclusion” concludes the traces of evolution in poetry
and summarizes the previous chapters.
